Stereotyping Rock (Stereotyping Series) | ✔️

Chapter One

Jen

I took a sip of my water as I sized up the bars again. I could do this. I know I could. 

I put my water down, wiped my forehead sweat away and then clapped some more hand chalk on. My cheerleading instructor watched me from across the room as I jumped back up to hang from the bars. Slowly, I swung myself back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth, gathering up speed. I made sure I'd gathered enough momentum before I lifted my knees to my chest, swinging my legs up and over the other bar, moving to swing from that one.

I did a somersault from the top of it to the ground. Instead of landing on my feet like I'd been aiming to, I landed flat on my back, winding myself yet again. 

"You okay, girl?" Courtney held a hand out to me and I took it to stand up. 

I nodded, "Just a little winded... If I can't get that bar somersault down, Coach said she won't take me to AIS."

"What?" Courtney's eyes widened, "But AIS means everything for a cheerleader..."

"I know," I frowned slightly, looking back over to Coach Hayes, "Which is why I need to get this right."

"Try again and I'll see what you're doing wrong."

I clapped on more hand chalk and jumped up, repeating my actions. I swung over the second bar and somersaulted and, inevitably, landed on my back again. Courtney helped me up.

She pointed to a specific spot on the bar, "That's where you're supposed to be sliding over. Instead, you're coming in at an angle so you lose pace going over the middle. Your somersault is then off-line and you try to right yourself, losing even more pace."

Fix my angles. 

I nodded at Courtney and tried once more, still landing on my back. 

Courtney shrugged, "Maybe it just takes a bit of practice, Jen."

"Right..."

***

"The AIS squad is being decided next Thurday," Courtney gossiped to the rest of the girls in the car, "I doubt I'll get in but I can have hopes, right?"

They all nodded their agreement - like she needed it. 

I raked a hand through my blonde hair and flipped down the mirror of Courtney's car to quickly check my makeup. My skin had been particularly bad today so I'd covered that up, which made my cheeks look pale so I put on blush and the problems kept gathering so my bad skin led to me wearing heavy eye makeup, a matte lipgloss, filled-in eyebrows, slightly curled hair and various skin makeup layers. Good thing it was a party, right? 

We pulled up to the all-familiar luxury apartment block that Will lived in. Many cars littered the streets and it was only early in the night - eight. By ten-thirty the apartment would be packed with horny teenagers. I slid out of Courtney's jeep, grabbed my handbag and adjusted my miniskirt. 

Last year, Coach Hayes had wanted me to 'tone up'. She said I was lean enough but I didn't have enough muscle. When I did put on that muscle she wanted me to have, Mum went and bought me a new wardrobe - without my permission.

I lost all my band tee-shirts, all my skinny jeans and everything down to my cartoon boxers I used to wear to bed. Now I have a 'cool-Mum' wardrobe filled with lingerie, crop-tops, tight dresses, skirts and pieces of clothing I wouldn't even know what to name them as. 

So when I say I didn't have much of a choice in wearing this miniskirt, pumps and singlet, I mean it. Mum even made me let her approve my outfit before we all left and made me change - twice.